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With Tax Day nearly upon us here in the United States, we were curious to know just how the U.S. ranks among the world's nations when it comes to the average individual tax burden.

We picked up Greg Mankiw's controversial idea for how to rank the nations of the world by average individual tax burden, and then took it to the extreme, going far beyond the eight nations that Mankiw considered and instead, creating a dynamic table in which we present the data for all 179 world nations for which we could get or calculate the data!

You can instantly sort the data presented in our dynamic table below by clicking the column headings. We'll have more comments below the table....

2009 Average Individual Tax Burden by Nation

Nation

Population

GDP-PPP per Capita [USD}

GDP-PPP [billions USD]

Total Tax Collections [billions USD]

Taxes as a Percentage Share of GDP-PPP

Tax Collections per Capita [USD]

Afghanistan

28,395,716

800

22.72

1.45

6.4%

00,051

Albania

3,639,453

6,200

22.56

5.17

22.9%

01,420

Algeria

34,178,188

7,100

242.67

18.69

7.7%

00,547

Angola

12,799,293

8,800

112.63

6.42

5.7%

00,502

Argentina

40,913,584

13,800

564.61

129.30

22.9%

03,160

Armenia

2,967,004

5,900

17.51

2.47

14.1%

00,832

Australia

21,262,641

38,500

818.61

249.68

30.5%

11,743

Austria

8,210,281

39,400

323.49

140.39

43.4%

17,100

Azerbaijan

8,238,672

9,900

81.56

14.52

17.8%

01,762

Bahamas, The

307,552

29,800

9.17

1.71

18.7%

05,573

Bahrain

728,709

38,400

27.98

0.67

2.4%

00,922

Bangladesh

156,050,883

1,600

249.68

21.22

8.5%

00,136

Barbados

284,589

18,500

5.26

1.72

32.6%

06,031

Belarus

9,648,533

11,600

111.92

27.09

24.2%

02,807

Belgium

10,414,336

36,600

381.16

178.39

46.8%

17,129

Belize

307,899

8,200

2.52

0.55

21.6%

01,771

Benin

8,791,832

1,500

13.19

2.03

15.4%

00,231

Bhutan

691,141

6,200

4.29

0.46

10.7%

00,663

Bolivia

9,775,246

4,600

44.97

12.14

27.0%

01,242

Bosnia and Herzegovina

4,613,414

6,300

29.06

11.97

41.2%

02,596

Botswana

1,990,876

12,100

24.09

8.48

35.2%

04,259

Brazil

198,739,269

10,200

2,027.14

786.53

38.8%

03,958

Bulgaria

7,204,687

12,600

90.78

31.23

34.4%

04,334

Burkina Faso

15,746,232

1,200

18.90

2.17

11.5%

00,138

Burma

48,137,741

1,200

57.77

2.83

4.9%

00,059

Burundi

9,511,330

300

2.85

0.50

17.4%

00,052

Cambodia

14,494,293

1,900

27.54

2.20

8.0%

00,152

Cameroon

18,879,301

2,300

43.42

7.90

18.2%

00,419

Canada

33,487,208

38,400

1,285.91

429.49

33.4%

12,826

Cape Verde

429,474

3,900

1.67

0.39

23.0%

00,897

Central African Republic

4,511,488

700

3.16

0.24

7.7%

00,054

Chad

10,329,208

1,500

15.49

0.65

4.2%

00,063

Chile

16,601,707

14,700

244.05

41.73

17.1%

02,514

China, People's Republic of

1,338,612,968

6,500

8,700.98

1,479.17

17.0%

01,105

China, Republic of (Taiwan)

22,974,347

30,200

693.83

86.03

12.4%

03,745

Colombia

43,677,372

9,200

401.83

92.42

23.0%

02,116

Comoros

752,438

1,000

0.75

0.09

12.0%

00,120

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

68,692,542

300

20.61

2.72

13.2%

00,040

Congo, Republic of the

4,012,809

4,200

16.85

0.99

5.9%

00,248

Costa Rica

4,253,877

11,300

48.07

6.73

14.0%

01,582

Côte d'Ivoire

20,617,068

1,700

35.05

5.36

15.3%

00,260

Croatia

4,489,409

17,600

79.01

21.02

26.6%

04,682

Cuba

11,451,652

9,700

111.08

49.76

44.8%

04,346

Cyprus

1,084,748

21,200

23.00

8.42

36.6%

07,759

Czech Republic

10,211,904

25,100

256.32

93.04

36.3%

09,111

Denmark

5,500,510

36,200

199.12

99.56

50.0%

18,100

Djibouti

724,622

2,800

2.03

0.41

20.0%

00,560

Dominica

72,660

10,200

0.74

0.22

30.3%

03,091

Dominican Republic

9,650,054

8,200

79.13

11.87

15.0%

01,230

Ecuador

14,573,101

7,300

106.38

14.04

13.2%

00,964

Egypt

78,866,635

6,000

473.20

74.77

15.8%

00,948

El Salvador

7,185,218

6,000

43.11

5.73

13.3%

00,798

Equatorial Guinea

633,441

36,100

22.87

0.39

1.7%

00,614

Estonia

1,299,371

18,800

24.43

7.60

31.1%

05,847

Ethiopia

85,237,338

900

76.71

8.90

11.6%

00,104

Fiji

944,720

3,800

3.59

0.78

21.8%

00,828

Finland

5,250,275

34,900

183.23

79.89

43.6%

15,216

France

64,057,792

32,800

2,101.10

968.61

46.1%

15,121

Gabon

1,514,993

13,700

20.76

2.14

10.3%

01,411

Gambia, The

1,778,081

1,300

2.31

0.44

18.9%

00,246

Georgia

4,615,807

4,500

20.77

4.51

21.7%

00,977

Germany

82,329,758

34,200

2,815.68

1,143.17

40.6%

13,885

Ghana

23,887,812

1,500

35.83

7.45

20.8%

00,312

Greece

10,737,428

32,100

344.67

115.46

33.5%

10,754

Guatemala

13,276,517

5,200

69.04

8.22

11.9%

00,619

Guinea

10,057,975

1,100

11.06

0.91

8.2%

00,090

Guinea-Bissau

1,533,964

600

0.92

0.11

11.5%

00,069

Guyana

752,940

3,900

2.94

0.94

31.9%

01,244

Haiti

9,035,536

1,300

11.75

1.10

9.4%

00,122

Honduras

7,833,696

4,200

32.90

5.13

15.6%

00,655

Hong Kong

7,055,071

42,700

301.25

38.56

12.8%

05,466

Hungary

9,905,596

18,800

186.23

69.46

37.3%

07,012

Iceland

306,694

39,800

12.21

4.93

40.4%

16,079

India

1,156,897,766

3,100

3,586.38

634.79

17.7%

00,549

Indonesia

240,271,522

4,000

961.09

105.72

11.0%

00,440

Iran

66,429,284

12,900

856.94

62.56

7.3%

00,942

Ireland

4,203,200

42,200

177.38

60.31

34.0%

14,348

Israel

7,233,701

28,400

205.44

75.60

36.8%

10,451

Italy

58,126,212

30,200

1,755.41

747.81

42.6%

12,865

Jamaica

2,825,928

8,300

23.46

6.38

27.2%

02,258

Japan

127,078,679

32,600

4,142.76

1,135.12

27.4%

08,932

Jordan

6,269,285

5,300

33.23

7.01

21.1%

01,118

Kazakhstan

15,399,437

11,400

175.55

47.05

26.8%

03,055

Kenya

39,002,772

1,600

62.40

11.48

18.4%

00,294

Kiribati

112,850

5,300

0.60

0.55

91.6%

04,855

Korea, South

48,508,972

27,700

1,343.70

360.11

26.8%

07,424

Kuwait

2,692,526

55,800

150.24

2.25

1.5%

00,837

Kyrgyzstan

5,431,747

2,100

11.41

2.44

21.4%

00,449

Laos

6,834,345

2,100

14.35

1.55

10.8%

00,227

Latvia

2,231,503

14,500

32.36

9.84

30.4%

04,408

Lebanon

4,017,095

11,500

46.20

6.65

14.4%

01,656

Lesotho

2,130,819

1,500

3.20

1.37

42.9%

00,644

Liberia

3,441,790

500

1.72

0.23

13.2%

00,066

Libya

6,324,357

14,600

92.34

2.49

2.7%

00,394

Lithuania

3,555,179

15,000

53.33

11.15

20.9%

03,135

Luxembourg

491,775

77,600

38.16

13.89

36.4%

28,246

Macau

559,846

30,000

16.80

3.38

20.1%

06,030

Macedonia

2,066,718

9,000

18.60

5.45

29.3%

02,637

Madagascar

20,653,556

1,000

20.65

2.21

10.7%

00,107

Malawi

15,028,757

900

13.53

2.80

20.7%

00,186

Malaysia

25,715,819

14,700

378.02

58.59

15.5%

02,279

Maldives

396,334

4,200

1.66

0.34

20.5%

00,861

Mali

13,443,225

1,100

14.79

2.26

15.3%

00,168

Malta

405,165

23,800

9.64

3.39

35.2%

08,378

Mauritania

3,129,486

2,100

6.57

1.01

15.4%

00,323

Mauritius

1,284,264

12,400

15.92

2.88

18.1%

02,244

Mexico

111,211,789

13,200

1,468.00

142.40

9.7%

01,280

Micronesia

107,434

2,200

0.24

0.03

12.3%

00,271

Moldova

4,320,748

2,400

10.37

3.50

33.8%

00,811

Mongolia

3,041,142

3,400

10.34

3.49

33.8%

01,149

Montenegro

672,180

9,800

6.59

1.84

28.0%

02,744

Morocco

31,285,174

4,600

143.91

32.09

22.3%

01,026

Mozambique

21,669,278

900

19.50

2.61

13.4%

00,121

Namibia

2,108,665

6,400

13.50

3.89

28.8%

01,843

Nepal

28,563,377

1,200

34.28

3.74

10.9%

00,131

Netherlands

16,715,999

39,000

651.92

257.51

39.5%

15,405

New Zealand

4,213,418

27,700

116.71

42.60

36.5%

10,111

Nicaragua

5,891,199

2,800

16.50

2.94

17.8%

00,498

Niger

15,306,252

700

10.71

1.18

11.0%

00,077

Nigeria

149,229,090

2,400

358.15

21.85

6.1%

00,146

Norway

4,660,539

59,300

276.37

120.50

43.6%

25,855

Oman

3,418,085

20,300

69.39

1.39

2.0%

00,406

Pakistan

174,578,558

2,600

453.90

48.11

10.6%

00,276

Panama

3,360,474

11,900

39.99

4.24

10.6%

01,261

Papua New Guinea

5,940,775

2,300

13.66

3.35

24.5%

00,564

Paraguay

6,995,655

4,100

28.68

3.44

12.0%

00,492

Peru

29,546,963

8,600

254.10

38.37

15.1%

01,299

Philippines

97,976,603

3,300

323.32

46.56

14.4%

00,475

Poland

38,482,919

17,800

685.00

231.53

33.8%

06,016

Portugal

10,707,924

21,700

232.36

85.97

37.0%

08,029

Qatar

833,285

121,400

101.16

2.23

2.2%

02,671

Romania

22,215,421

11,500

255.48

71.79

28.1%

03,232

Russia

140,041,247

15,200

2,128.63

785.46

36.9%

05,609

Rwanda

10,746,311

1,000

10.75

1.52

14.1%

00,141

Saint Lucia

160,267

10,900

1.75

0.40

23.1%

02,518

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

104,574

18,100

1.89

0.50

26.5%

04,797

Samoa

219,998

4,700

1.03

0.26

25.5%

01,199

São Tomé and Príncipe

212,679

1,400

0.30

0.05

17.4%

00,244

Saudi Arabia

28,686,633

20,300

582.34

30.86

5.3%

01,076

Senegal

13,711,597

1,700

23.31

4.48

19.2%

00,326

Serbia

7,379,339

10,400

76.75

26.17

34.1%

03,546

Seychelles

87,476

19,400

1.70

0.54

32.0%

06,208

Sierra Leone

5,132,138

900

4.62

0.48

10.5%

00,095

Singapore

4,657,542

50,300

234.27

30.46

13.0%

06,539

Slovakia

5,463,046

21,100

115.27

34.00

29.5%

06,225

Slovenia

2,005,692

28,200

56.56

22.23

39.3%

11,083

Solomon Islands

595,613

2,600

1.55

0.38

24.7%

00,642

South Africa

49,052,489

10,000

490.52

131.95

26.9%

02,690

Spain

40,525,002

33,700

1,365.69

509.40

37.3%

12,570

Sri Lanka

21,324,791

4,500

95.96

14.68

15.3%

00,689

Sudan

41,087,825

2,300

94.50

5.95

6.3%

00,145

Suriname

481,267

8,800

4.24

0.94

22.1%

01,945

Swaziland

1,337,186

4,400

5.88

2.34

39.8%

01,751

Sweden

9,059,651

36,800

333.40

165.70

49.7%

18,290

Switzerland

7,604,467

41,600

316.35

95.22

30.1%

12,522

Syria

21,762,978

4,700

102.29

10.94

10.7%

00,503

Tajikistan

7,349,145

1,800

13.23

2.18

16.5%

00,297

Tanzania

41,048,532

1,400

57.47

6.90

12.0%

00,168

Thailand

65,998,436

8,100

534.59

90.88

17.0%

01,377

Timor-Leste

1,131,612

2,400

2.72

2.98

109.7%

02,633

Togo

6,031,808

900

5.43

0.84

15.5%

00,140

Tonga

120,898

4,600

0.56

0.15

27.0%

01,242

Trinidad and Tobago

1,229,953

23,300

28.66

8.02

28.0%

06,524

Tunisia

10,486,339

8,000

83.89

12.50

14.9%

01,192

Turkey

76,805,524

11,200

860.22

279.57

32.5%

03,640

Turkmenistan

4,884,887

6,700

32.73

6.61

20.2%

01,353

Uganda

32,369,558

1,300

42.08

5.30

12.6%

00,164

Ukraine

45,700,395

6,400

292.48

111.44

38.1%

02,438

United Arab Emirates

4,798,491

41,800

200.58

2.81

1.4%

00,585

United Kingdom

61,113,205

35,400

2,163.41

843.73

39.0%

13,806

United States

307,212,123

46,400

14,254.64

4,019.81

28.2%

13,085

Uruguay

3,494,382

12,600

44.03

10.17

23.1%

02,911

Uzbekistan

27,606,007

2,800

77.30

16.23

21.0%

00,588

Vanuatu

218,519

4,800

1.05

0.19

17.8%

00,854

Venezuela

26,814,843

13,200

353.96

88.49

25.0%

03,300

Vietnam

88,576,758

2,900

256.87

35.45

13.8%

00,400

Yemen

22,858,238

2,500

57.15

4.06

7.1%

00,178

Zambia

11,862,740

1,500

17.79

2.86

16.1%

00,242

Zimbabwe

11,392,629

200

2.28

1.12

49.3%

00,099

By sorting the data from high to low for Tax Collections per Person, we find that the United States ranks 14th out of 179 nations, putting the U.S. into the top ranks for individual tax burden in the world.

That's despite the U.S. middle of the pack ranking for taxes as a percentage share of GDP per capita (adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity), where it comes in 54th in the world with an average tax percentage share of GDP of 28.2%.

Finally, we were surprised that the nation of Timor-Leste has a tax percentage share of GDP of 109%, which is likely elevated given the nation's recovery following the economic destruction and turmoil produced by the Indonesian invasion less than a decade ago. We'd be curious to see how that figure changes as the nation continues its economic recovery from the event.

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